Sheet metalworking hammer



Aug. 12, 1952 A. M. HEXDALL.-

SHEET METALWORKING HAMMER Filed April 28. 1949 NVSNTO W2: Nevada El @Mwifwfmfm Patented Aug. 12, 1952 S' PATENTDFFICE U y l 2,606,463 j y f' A 3 SHEET METALWORKING HAMMER y,

i @drew M. Hexaali, Morris, m. -1

f Application April 28, 1949, Serial No. 90.085

op f continus.

'This application lis a continuation-impart of `mycopending application Serial No. 14,661, now

abandoned.

The invention relates to hand hammers generally, Y and more particularly to `an improved hammer for sheet metalworking. i

The generalV object of the invention is toprovide a hammer especially'suited for the various operationsA involved in the fabrication and erection of sheet metal structures and which is constructed so as to afford a feeling of balance'and a 'resiliency or bounce that makes it easier and less fatiguing in use. y A. l

A more specic object is to providev a hammer particularly well adapted for completing Pitts- ,burgh joints in sheet* metal structures, which can `be used y cffectivelyy in coniined spaces and which is universally adaptable for .seating the drivenfflanges of eithervright .or .left-hand joints and for other joint iinishing` operations such as ilange of aPittsbur'ghvjointl l i. 1 y

gFg. 2""'.a perspectf Vlev .view ff the hammer showingA it iii-the 'alternatelor right-hand position.

Fig. Seisa perspective lview showing the use of the hammer in lapping over the locking ange to linish the joint. y

Fig. 4 is anJ end view of vthe hammer shown 'in Figs. l-B.

Fig. 5 is an end view of amdied form of the hammer.

Two embodiments of the invention have been shown by way of i1lustration.i but it is notiintended to thereby limit the `inventionzto the precise forms illustrated. On the contrary it is the intention to cover all modiiications and alternative vconstructions falling within the `spirit and scopeof. the invention. asf expressed inf the appended claims. 4 :z

Referring to the drawing', the' improved hammer has a head l0 which may be fashioned as a steel forging or may be milled from bar stock, as desired. The head is centrally apertured as at Il to receive the end of a Wooden handle I2.

Such handles are commonly formed With a grip- I ably,.the end .or shank- `portion of the handle and the aperture Il' in the head are ofcircular cross section so that ,the handle Vmay be turned on its axis to orient the gripping portion for the convenience of any user. The handle may be anchored to the head and located in adjusted position by any suitable means, such as a set screw I4, (Fig. 4). Alternatively,v a conventional Wedge l5 may be utilized for anchoring the handle to the head, as-shown in.Fig.5.

In accordance with theinvention,at least three specially shaped striking faces are provided on the head I0. One of -these isa relatively long striking face I6 fashioned on a side of the head and terminating o rblendinginto noses I1 of smoothly rounded: contour at eachv end. To provide the resiliency or bounce .desirable for reducing the-shock andjar transmitted to the hand ofA the user. the faceA Iii is preferably ,crowned or formed-With a contour arcuate about balanced feelingand the correct vswingin use. `More particularlyfitliasbenA found that the best results in this respect arev obtained -When the striking- -surfacei'isflhished by an abrading operation .or tlielike Which leavesl the surface slightlyfro'ughene'd andvvith a grain defined by shallow ridges..y Theabr'ading tolis applied so that the grain'or ridges'extend Vacross the face in the direction of'its' narrowed dimension or parallel to th'efhandle.V4 Thisenables thepounding face to .draw on thenital ,or-holdback just enough ,to impart" a` .liveffeeling Ywhich is highly desirable in metalworkinghammers'.

Two additional',strikingfac'es' 20and 2| are fashioned on oppositl'efnds' or 'izllie'lieadlV These faces are disposed in substantially parallelp'lanes at rightA angles tof the* Afirstf-:ine'r'itioned f striking .face I6 fr he striking fee .20; and` 2,* are crowned similarlyto the face, I6' and are Vfinished with an abraded surface having the grain extending across the narrow width of the face, in this instance transversely of the axis of the hammer handle. faces are rounded as shown in Fig. 4.

To facilitate the use of the hammer in oppositely disposed crevices or corners, the striking Preferably, the corners of these faces 20 and 2| are terminated at their ends remote from the striking face I6 in abrupt shoulders 22 and 23. The intermediate portions of the head I on the side opposite the face l5 are recessed as at 24 so as to present the shoulders 22 and 23 in laterally projecting or oir-set relation with respect to the central portion of the head. Thus ample clearance is provided for inserting the head into a corner. At their other ends, the end Striking faces are separated from the side face I6 by the noses I1 which terminate inwardly from the faces or are olf-set so as to form narrow shoulders substantially normal to the respective striking faces.

The facility with which the improved hammer may be used in confined spaces will be readily seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of vthe drawings. Thus, in hammering in a left-hand corner (as viewed from the handle end of the hammer) such as shown in Fig... 1, the striking face 20 is used. The narrow shoulder 22. permits the striking face to be applied 'relatively close to the .edge of the surface being pounded. In lan oppositely disposed or right-hand corner, the hammerhead is turned through 180 about the longitudinal axis of the handle from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the striking face 2|v is used. This reversible characteristc of the hammer greatly aids the worker, especially in confined quarters, when working overhead or in the various awkward positions that a sheet metal installer has to assume.

Pittsburgh joints are, of course, commonly used in sheet metal duct work. As is well known, the sheets for such joints are preformed so that one sheet -25-has`ra first or driven'iiange' 26-which must be hammered into a groove formed by a reverse bend 2'|-in the other sheet^28, as shown in Figs. 1Y 'and 2." Finally, a second or locking flange 29 at the edge of the sheet 28-Inust be bent or crimpedA over and smoothed dow-n over the sheet 25 to complete the joint, as shown' in Fig. 3.

Such seating of the driven'iiarlge 26 and lapping over of the locking flangeHZS has to be done on the job by handV during; installation fof-the sheet metal structure. Theha'mmer here disclosed is especially suitable for4 the performance of those operations. Thepeculiar'sha'pe and location of the reversible end'tstriking faces 2,0;an'd '2| make it possible to get into the cornersbetween'the sheet 25 and ange l29 and drivehome the vilange 26 wherever the work islocated. Itjcanbe done by this hammer with cleangsharp lblows without either marring the' upstanding ange 2,5 or

buckling or distorting the sheet25 at. the root of the flange 26' or elsewhere. 'Moreoven with the ange 26 driven home,Y the long striking face I6 makes it possible to. lap over the lockinggange 29 in a neat, workmanlike mannerand with a relatively small number of strokes of the hammer. Because of the surface contour and finish of the striking face I6,vthe. feeling of balance and the draw against the workjenablesthe'wdrkman to attain maximum productionlwit-h less effort and with minimum fatigue. 'f

In some instances it may be desirable-te l'provide the hammer with Aa fourth'r auxiliary strik ing face 30, whiclr additionally serves-asan anvil or backing surface against which a metal sheet or the like may be pounded to remove irregularities. The face 30 is formed on the side of the head l0 opposite the face I6 and is preferably .dat and smooth as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the end faces 20 and 2| are merged into the face 30 by gently rounded corners 3|. Since all four sides of the head present pounding faces in this instance, the handle |2 is anchored to. the head by meansof the wedge I5.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. sheet metal hammer comprising a metal head apertured centrally to receive a handle. saidhead having an elongated generally flat lateral surface disposed in a plane approximately parallel to the axis of the handle aperture. a pair of generally fiat end surfaces substantially shorter than said lateral surface, said end surfaces lying in planes .laterally oiset from and substantially parallel to the axis of the handle aperture, said lateral surfaces merging atr opposite ends into said end 'surfaces by way of smoothly curved corner portions which are 'offset inwardly with respect to the end surfaces, the end portions of said head having lateral extensions at the side opposite saidlateral surface defining shoulders projecting substantially beyond the portion of thehead between the shoulders.

2. A sheet metal working hammer compri-sing, in combination, an elongated head defining centrally therein a transverse-handle receiving aperture, one longitudinal side of said head being substantially parallel to the axis of said aperture and defining a crowned face lhaving a smooth, unbroken surface of generally rectangular configuration, said surface having a widthsubstantially commensurate withthatoi said head and a length only slightly 'less-than the length of said head, opposite ends ofsaid head defining crowned faces of generallyY rectangular configu. ration anddisposed substantially perpendicularly to the elongated axis of vvsaid head', said" head de ning abrupt'pshoulde'rs at `opposite ends vthereof at sides opposite-from said sideY face,lsaid end faces being. substantially lcommencurate;inwidth with said head'an'd Vextendingy from said respective `shoulders to extremities disposed" somewhat inwardly of the adjacent fends of said side face, and two curved nose 'portionson'said"head'. disposedin bridging relation between said respective endfaces 'and adjacent ends of'said side surface.

ANDREW M. HEXDALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are' of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS,-

Number. Name K Date 224,023 Maller? f Feb, 3, 1880 .419,953 Huller Jan. 21, 1890 674,640 Stelter- 4--.. May 21, 1901 945,957 Keeler 1 Jan. 11, 1910 958,595. Charpenteir May 17., 1910 968,106'y f Zimmermann Aug. 2,3, 1910 1,822,394 Ferguson Sept. 8;. 1931 

